Mama Seeton's Whistle

Lauren Bacall's quote about whistling is classic, but when it comes to puckering, no one tops Mama Seeton. Mama's whistle to her family is heard throughout the neighborhood, letting her troops know it's time to come home for dinner and chocolate cake, even as they grow older and roam farther afield. At last, all grown, they leave and settle in far-flung places; frequent letters don't fend off Mama's loneliness. When Papa Seeton suggests she put her lips together and blow for old times' sake, she thinks he's daft but does so anyway; of course, no one arrives--at first. Miraculously, the marvelous sound travels around the world and summons every Seeton scion home. In time, the Seeton children summon their own offspring with a clarion whistle that brings the new generation running. This is a sweet but odd tale, and readers may have to suspend quite a bit of disbelief to buy into the premise. The audience is unclear; frequent references to time passing and an aging parent's wistfulness over her empty nest may be more resonant for adults than children. The ink-and-watercolor illustrations are charmingly cozy and retro; they easily evoke both a happy, close-knit family and the passage of time with carefully chosen details. In a nice nod to currency, she presents biracial grandkids. If nothing else, the book will make kids eager to practice whistling. (Picture book. 4-7).

Grades K-2. When the story begins, in the 1950s, Mama Seeton can’t find her toddler, Skippy. Without thinking, she produces a two-note whistle that also produces Skippy, who has been in the house the whole time. As Papa and Mama Seetons’ family grows—Sheldon, Stewart, and Sophie—the children become used to the whistle calling them home no matter how far in the neighborhood they roam, with their reward being some of Mama’s chocolate cake. Pham does a marvelous job of showing how time passes: fashions and neighborhoods change, children get older, and their activities become more challenging. Then one day all of them are grown and gone, leaving a lonely Mama Seeton, who now only makes the chocolate cake once a week. Papa has the idea of having her whistle once more, and with a bit of magical whimsy, the children, now scattered around the world, hear the two notes and come home for a visit. The story has the sentimental veneer that may initially appear to appeal more to the reader than the listener. But the story’s universal elements of love and family will warm even young readers. Adding greatly to the appeal is sprightly, often humorous artwork that features a Mama Seeton who, in the beginning, has more than a passing resemblance to Disney’s Snow White. Fun and memories mix here, delightfully demonstrating the old adage “there’s no place like home.”

This feel-good family story shows all the Seeton siblings, from childhood to adulthood, being drawn to home by their mother's "simple, two-note whistle." While the beginning is set in a bygone era, the ending is contemporary and relevant. Homey illustrations with a Norman Rockwell sensibility give the characters distinct personalities and show the whistle as a fantastical entity swirling through the air.

PreS-Gr 2--When Mama Seeton whistles out the back door, her four children, three boys and a girl, always respond by dashing home for dinner and chocolate cake. But when they grow up and leave town, that whistle can no longer bring them home, and Mama Seeton misses them desperately. One day Papa encourages her to go outside and whistle, hoping the pretense will help, but it doesn't. However, though "no one has ever been able to explain" how it happened, each now-adult child hears the familiar sound and comes home, even from distant places. Now, following her example, Mama Seeton's children call their own offspring with a whistle as well. Mama is based on a neighbor from Spinelli's childhood, and the illustrations, executed in watercolor and ink, feature the cars, bikes, hair styles, clothing, and black-and-white TVs of his boyhood years. An especially effective spread depicting the various exploits of the children all across town conveys the passage of time with a display of all four seasons, beginning with the blossoms of spring on the left and moving across the page to summer greens, autumn colors, and finally, a snow-covered hillside on the right. A wavy pink line swirls throughout the pages connecting mom and children, and alert readers will notice how the kids' childhood interests blossom into their adult pursuits. Author and illustrator notes complete this nostalgic look at the enduring love between a mother and her children.--Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

For the four Seeton kids, Mama's "simple, two-note whistle" is more than a call to come home from their rambling adventures. The whistle signifies everything that's wonderful about being in a loving, close-knit family: gathering around the table for dinner, devouring homemade chocolate cake, and, above all, having a mother whose affection is unwavering, unconditional, and unlimited. So even when the Seeton kids grow up and move far away (their professional pursuits include forest ranger and marathon runner), they're never truly beyond the whistle's reach, especially when their mother needs them most. Spinelli's spare storytelling, with its subtle refrains and emotional modulations, strikes a knowing, bittersweet, yet comforting tone, while Pham's ardently detailed but never sentimental portraits of small-town life transport readers back to "the old days, when only one family on a block had a TV," mothers seemed to wear aprons around the clock, and kids roamed free. Spinelli and Pham make beautiful music together, creating an unabashedly old-fashioned family fable that should leave readers of all ages snuggling a little closer to one another. Ages 3-6. Illustrator's agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Apr.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"[A] nurturing look at the enduring love between a mother and her children." ""School Library Journal"""